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Costa Rica vs Jamaica: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 109 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Costa Rica
cri
Leads on 60 of 109 metrics
Jamaica
jam
Leads on 35 of 109 metrics

Summary

Comparing Costa Rica and Jamaica: Costa Rica leads on Radios (980,000) against Jamaica (1.22); Jamaica leads on Major Urban Areas Population (597,000 people) against Costa Rica (1.46 people); Costa Rica leads on Dam capacity per capita (382.59 cubic meters per inhabitant) against Jamaica (1.90 cubic meters per inhabitant). Across 109 compared metrics, Costa Rica wins on 60 and Jamaica wins on 35.

  • Communications: 6 metrics compared
  • Economy: 45 metrics compared
  • Environment: 5 metrics compared
  • Geography: 6 metrics compared
  • Government: 4 metrics compared
  • Health: 9 metrics compared
  • Military and Security: 1 metric compared
  • People and Society: 29 metrics compared
  • Transportation: 4 metrics compared

Communications

6 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇯🇲 JamaicaShare
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)85.4 %89.47 %★
Internet Userspercent of population: 85% (2023 est.)percent of population: 83% (2023 est.)
Press Freedom Index Score73.09 points75.83 points★
Radios980,000★1.22
Televisions525,000★460,000
Waterways730none

Economy

45 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇯🇲 JamaicaShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country2.74B $★1.68B $
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars110.67B $★26.44B $
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)3.5 %★3.25 %
Coal Revenue00
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)11.37 %14.91 %★
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)7.6 % of GDP★6.1 % of GDP
Ease of Doing Business Index69.297.4★
Electricity Consumption9.81★2.85
Electricity Exports643★0
Electricity from Fossil Fuels1883★
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants64★3
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels00
Electricity from Other Renewables18★15
Electricity Imports807★0
Electricity Installed Capacity3.58★1.08
Electricity Production10.79★4.01
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)30.73 USD per capita42.1 USD per capita★
Gini Index Coefficient45.8★39.9
Gross Fixed Investment19.9★19.5
Gross National Saving15.118.3★
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)4.1 %★-1.5 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)-0.4 %★5.4 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)0.6 % of GDP1.4 % of GDP★
Natural Gas Consumption0198.2★
Natural Gas Exports00
Natural Gas Imports0198.2★
Natural Gas Production00
Natural Gas Proved Reserves00
Oil Consumption47,00063,000★
Oil Exports2,087★0
Oil Imports44,11090,520★
Oil Production263506★
Oil Proved Reserves00
Population Below Poverty Line24.4 people16.7 people★
Public Debt48.9★106.3
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)4.3 USD★-0.7 USD
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption53,00055,000★
Refined Petroleum Products Exports0823★
Refined Petroleum Products Imports51,320★30,580
Refined Petroleum Products Production024,250★
Remittances0.817.9★
Revenue from Forest Resources0.82★0.15
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)2.161.39★
Taxes and Other Revenues13.925.7★
Unemployment Rate7.9 %4.9 %★

Environment

5 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇯🇲 JamaicaShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)287,922★332,847.5
Carbon Dioxide Emissions7.917.89★
Population Distributionroughly half of the nation's population resides in urban areas; the capital of San Jose is the largest city and home to approximately one fifth of the populationpopulation density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country37.31 Cubic meters per year★5.47 Cubic meters per year
Total Renewable Water Resources113★10.82

Geography

6 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇯🇲 JamaicaShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization3.41 %10.24 %★
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)196★158.5
Agricultural land16,651.72 sq. km★4,170 sq. km
Coastline Length (km)1,290 km★1,022 km
Dam capacity per capita382.59 cubic meters per inhabitant★1.9 cubic meters per inhabitant
Irrigated Land1,015★250

Government

4 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇯🇲 JamaicaShare
Rule of Law Index by Country54.31 %★50.71 %
Administrative Divisions714★
Independence15★6
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

9 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇯🇲 JamaicaShare
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)17.13★80.88
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)9.812.5★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)7.6 % of GDP★7.2 % of GDP
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate0.5 %★1.3 %
Hospital Bed Density1.2 people/sq km1.7 people/sq km★
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)24 %★130 %
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)25.7 %24.7 %★
People Living With HIV/AIDS16,000★32,000
Underweight Children Under 52.92.5★

Military and Security

1 metric
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇯🇲 JamaicaShare
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)10,000★6,000

People and Society

29 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇯🇲 JamaicaShare
Currently married (Percent)40.93 %★35.28 %
Human Capital Index0.63★0.52
Life expectancy at birth84.75 years★75.32 years
Median age of population35.68 years★33.25 years
Population Change24,088.1 persons★-3,759.8 persons
Population density101.38 per sq. km★262.07 per sq. km
Total population5.18M persons★2.83M persons
Academic Freedom Index0.920.94★
Birth Rate (%)10.86 %16.08 %★
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate70.9 %NA
Death Rate (%)5.24 %★7.37 %
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)6.2 % of GDP★5.5 % of GDP
Female population of reproductive age1.33M persons★794,250.1 persons
Labor Force Participation Rate2.36★1.57
Learning-adjusted years of school9.01 years★6.68 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother0 days0 days
Major Urban Areas Population1.46 people597,000 people★
Mean Male Height (cm)168.93174.53★
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligation1818
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization74.2 %★72.89 %
Physician Density2.69 people/sq km★0.46 people/sq km
Population Growth Rate0.75 %★0.25 %
Population living in slums1.68 %★0.88 %
Total deaths26,826 persons21,923.2 persons★
Total demand for family planning (Percent)63.4 %★45.93 %
Total fertility rate1.3 per woman1.33 per woman★
Total net-migration974.7 persons★-13,229.7 persons
Under-five mortality rate7.18 per live births★18.38 per live births

Transportation

4 metrics
Metric🇨🇷 Costa Rica🇯🇲 JamaicaShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)0.480.83★
Airports132★20
Civil Air Travel11★8
Heliports8★2

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